Clock-escapement



M (No Model.) 7

C. STAHLBERG.

CLOCK ESGAPEMENT} No. 244,684. Patented July 19,1881.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES STAHLBERG, OF ST. CHARLES, MISSOURI.

CLOCK-ESCAPEMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 244,684, dated July 19,1881.

Application filed March 29, 1881.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, CHARLES STAHLBERG, of St.Charles, in the county of St. Charles and State of Missouri, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Clock-Escapements, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming part of thisspecification.

My invention relates to an improvement in the escapement of a clock; andit consists in duplicate levers with springs actin g to force thepallets against the teeth of the escapementwheel. The pallets haveprojections which arrest the movement of the wheel until the pendulum orbalancewheel, by impin gem ent against the lever, allows the tooth toescape from the projection.

1n the drawings, Figure l is a top view of my device, showing the bridgewhich gives bearing to the upper ends of the lever-posts broken away andthe standard for supporting the pendulum removed. Fig. 2 is a side viewof the same, and part ofa system of clock-gearin g with part oftheinclosing-case broken away. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of same. Fig.4 is a detail enlarged view, illustrating the arrangement of the leverson their posts (one'only being shown) and the means for giving more orless tension to the springs operating the levers, said deviceconsistingofa sliding arm, of which Fig. 5 is an enlarged top view. Fig.6 is an enlarged detail view of the pallets against which the teeth ofthe escape-wheel impinge. Fig. 7 shows the application of my device toabalance-wheel. Fig. 8 shows my device with the pendulum hangingvertically beneath the escape-wheel, and showing a modification of thelevers, springs, and pallets. Fig. 9 shows the pendulum hung in the sameway as in Fig. 8, and a still further modification of the levers. Inthis modification only one of the levers operates on the pendulum, thelower arm of said lever being formed with a spring, and its upper armhaving a pallet, and also operating on one end of a lever'of bell-crankshape, the other end of which is operated on by a spring, as shown, andcarries a pallet which acts in combination with the pallet on the otherlever for the purpose of giving to the escape-wheel its intermittentmovement. Fig. 10 is an enlarged (No model.)

detail view of theform of pallet shown in Fig. 8. Fig. 11 is anothermodification of pallet and teeth of escape-wheel; and Fig. 12 is anenlarged view of pallet shown in Fig. 11.

It will be seen that the shape of teeth on the escape-wheel, the shapeof the pallets and their projections on the ends ofthe levers, the shapeof the levers, and the springs for operating said levers, can all bevaried more or less without essentially altering the nature of myinvention.

A A are the side pieces of the inclosing-case of a clock, and B is thetop of said case. Part of the case is shown broken away in Fig. 2 toexhibit part of the train of wheels 0 of a clock transmitting power fromthe mainsprin g to the escapement-wheel. As I do not claim anything newin this mechanism of a clock, and as any system or arrangement ofgearing for conveying power to the escape-wheel will act effectuallywith my improvement, it will not be necessary to further describe saidmechanism.

To the top plate, B, is secured a bridge, D, which gives journal-bearingto the upper end of the shaft of the escape-wheel E. The teeth 6 of theescape-wheel may vary in form. I have shown several modifications, butdo not confine myself to any of them, as any shape tooth would fulfillthe purpose which would act, in combination with the pallets on the endsof the levers, to cause the intermittent movement of the escape-wheel.

F F are levers, which work on fulcrum-posts f, having bearing in the topplate, 13, of the case A at the lower end, the other ends having bearingin the bridge G. which is secured to the top piece, B, by means ofscrews g or otherwise. The inner ends of these levers F F are providedat their extremities with pallets f, against which the teeth of theescape-wheel strike alternately. The shape of these pallets may bevaried, as I do not confine myself to any particular form. The palletshave incline facesf against which the teeth 0 impinge and travel alongthe incline, turning the lever on its fulcrum until the tooth comes incontact with the dead-stop projection f when the motion of theescape-wheel is arrested. As the lever is moved by the action of thetooth upon the pallet the tension of the spring H is increased, thusstorin g power in said spring,

which may be of spiral or other form. As shown, one end of eachspringHis secured to the postf of the levers F F, and the other end issecured to the end of an arm, I. The arms I have bearing on the plate Bin such a manner as to allow the ends of the arms to be moved to theright or left to give more or less tension to the springs H. In Fig. 5the attachment of the arm to the plate is best shown, and is as follows:The arm is formed with a circular ring or hub surrounding a disk, h,which fits it tightly, and which is secured to the plate B by means ofscrews k When the screws h are screwed down tightly the friction betweenthe disk and the ring will be sufficient to hold the arm against theforce of the spring to its adjustment. As a tooth of the escapewheelcomes in contact with the incline surface of either pallet the other endof thatlever will be moved inwardly and power will be stored in thespring El. \Vhen the tooth of the escape-wheel comes in contact with theprojection f on the pallet it is held in that position until the otherend of the lever is moved over by the impingement of the pendulum, whichmoves the pallet away from the tooth of the escape-wheel, and the toothacts on the pallet of the other lever in the manner before described.The spring H,actingthrough the medium of the lever F or F, gives to thependulum a return impulse sufficient to overcome the friction of thesame in its bearings and against the air. The bearingsurfaces f aresuitably formed to receive the pressure of the pendulum or the leverofthe balance-wheel. The pendulum is supported on a bracket or standard,A, secured to the piece B.

It will be seen that the projections f on the pallets, as shown in Fig.6, are not formed alike on their bearing-faces. The reason of this isthat while the projection on the lever F moves away from the tooth inreleasing it the projection on the lever F moves toward the tooth inswinging out on the fulcrum, so that the faces of the projections uponwhich the teeth of the escape-wheel act may both be in the arc of acircle having the fulcrum for its center, and the bcaring'faces of theteeth should be inclined accordingly. The proper form of the projectionand teeth would be such as would assure the arrest of the escape-wheel,but would allow the release with a very little friction between thefaces and slight loss of force.

Fig. 7 shows my improvement applied to a balance-wheel. In this thelevers F F extend each side of the shaft K of the balance-wheel L, andtheir outward movement is limited by eccentrics M upon studs M. Theshaft of the balance-wheel is connected by a hair-spring, N, with thelever O, turning on the shaft K as a fulcrum. The other end of the lever0 carries a stud, P. which extends down between the levers F F, so thatthey are moved by it in the same manner as by the pendulum-rod.

Q is the regulator.

In Fig. 8 is shown a modification, in which the escape-wheel is verticaland above the pendulum. In this case the pallets have the inclined facesshown in a modified form. The spiral springs H bear against the outersides of the levers. An enlarged view of these pallets is shown in Fig.10.

Fig. 9 shows a modification, in which the lever F is the only one havingbearing upon the pendulum, and the lever F is of obtuse bellerank form,one end bearing against the upper arm of the lever F.

Fig. 11 shows the inclines f and the stopprojectionsf made on the teethof the escapewheel instead of upon the pallets. In this case the palletsconsist of simple round or flattened studs 1' on the ends of the leversF F, as shown enlarged in Fig. 12.

I have shown the levers as extending in a plane parallel to theescape-wheel; but it will be readily perceived that they may be setangularly upon the levers. Accordingly I have shown the pendulum-rod atright angles to the levers and in the same plane therewith but it isobvious that they may be set at other angles.

The levers F F are shown as made in two pieces each, connected by thefulcrum-posts; but they may each be made in one single piece.

I claim as my invention In combination with the pendulum or balancewheel of a clock and the escapementwheel, the levers F F, and springs H,the pallets of said levers being provided with projections fsubstantially as and for the purpose set forth.

CHARLES STAHLBERG.

Witnesses:

J. E. KNIGHT, Gno. H. KNIGHT.

